Station groups Tegna and Scripps are joining the Sinclair Broadcast Group in running a four-week test of The Security Brief with Paul Viollis, a crime-focused talk show.
That brings the show’s market tally to 19 so far, including Denver, Atlanta, Seattle, Detroit, Kansas City, Missouri, and Tucson, Arizona to its line up. The test launches Dec. 21.
“Testing The Security Brief in several Scripps markets has the potential for a big payoff for our audiences,” said Brian Lawlor, senior VP of Scripps broadcast division, in a statement. “In the markets where we have duopolies, we have the freedom and flexibility to place new programming at a time when most other shows are in repeats. We are committed to creating a better-informed world and this show delivers critical information about real-world issues that could impact our safety and security."
Executive producer Terry Murphy and producing partner (and son) Patrick W. Murphy already have 75 episodes in the can with plans to produce 75 more so if any of the station groups want to keep running the show after the test, they can.
“Women have migrated to true-crime in other genres, but we’re the first and only talk show of its kind dedicated, exclusively, to telling true-crime stories,” said Murphy in a statement. “After the Paris attacks, the demand for real-world solutions to keep America’s families safe is at an all-time high.”
